1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides an integrated process for the production of ditertiary butyl peroxide from isobutane oxidate wherein the oxidate containing tertiary butyl alcohol and tertiary butyl hydroperoxide is reacted in the presence of a water soluble acid catalyst, the reaction mixture is resolved into separate aqueous and organic phases, tertiary butyl alcohol is recovered from the aqueous phase and the water soluble catalyst is recycled, and the organic phase is resolved in order to recover product ditertiary butyl peroxide.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The production of ditertiary butyl peroxide by reaction of the tertiary butyl alcohol and tertiary butyl hydroperoxide components of an isobutane reaction mixture is known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,862,973.
The recovery of ditertiary butyl peroxide from admixtures containing tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and tertiary butyl alcohol is likewise known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,383,919. A later patent which seems to cover much the same subject matter is U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,850.
Ditertiary butyl peroxide is an important chemical having use for example as a catalyst in various organic syntheses but having special utility as an additive to diesel fuel formulations in order to improve the characteristics thereof. Although methods have been suggested for the production and recovery of ditertiary butyl peroxide, as above indicated, there remains considerable room for improvement in the efficiency and economics of the technology for producing this product.